Nwachukwu Ike

Nwachukwu Ike’s art straddles drawing, painting and mixed media. Born in Lagos, 1962, Ike has been practicing art since 1980 and counts Japanese master printmaker Munio Makuchi and Nigerian legend Bruce Onabrakpeya as some of his influencers.

After his foray into the visual arts while a student of Literature in English at the University of Ife, Nwachuckwu later graduated from the faculty of law, University of Lagos and was called to the Nigerian bar in 2000. He specialized as a human rights lawyer for three years with Civil Liberties Organization of Nigeria (CLO).

In 2004, Nwachukwu emigrated to the US and has since revived his creative passions. The human face and its expressions captivates Ike – this stems from his fascination with the mystery of the African mask, a potent tool for unraveling the diverse range of emotions associated with the human condition. Ike perceives the individual as an intricate entity, an embodiment of worlds within worlds. These complexities tend to have expression in his works, both on board and paper.

Group exhibitions include The Tribe at Lady Between the Lines Art Gallery, Los Angeles (2014), El Sol for the Soul, Dial Art organized by Lady Between the Lines Art Gallery (2014). Nwachukwu has presented works at Malibu Art Fair (2016) and Beverly Hills Art Fair (2014). Since 2014 his works have been shown at the Pan African Film and Art Festival (PAFF) in Los Angeles. Nwachukwu’s works have been featured in Arthouse Contemporary’s Affordable and Modern and Contemporary Art Auctions. His solo show Abstract, Colorful and Emotional Expression exhibited at Dysonna City Art Gallery, Los Angeles (2013).

Nwachukwu lives in Sylmar, California, where he has his studio. His works are widely collected and are included in private institutions in Nigeria, Europe and America. Nwachukwu continues to create with an intention that with art, he is able to to bring some beauty and order into some of the otherwise ugly elements of human existence.